Brian Bish – Social Media Architect
Social Media Architect Brian Bish addressed my Mastermind Intensive on Friday about the why’s and wherefore’s of social media. It was a convincing talk, and I’m seeing a good deal of activity among our members as a result.
Brian talked about the credibility of a strong web presence supported by a strong social media presence. I backed up this sentiment with a recent example. My new New York friend forwarded me an email invitation to a women’s conference (which shall remain nameless) in CT that she was considering.
Unconsciously, because it’s become second nature to me now, I googled the keynote speaker and went to her website to check her out. It was a nice site, but not a clear-cut draw for my attention.
Next, I went to amazon to see how her book, which was being heavily promoted on the conference and her websites, was ranked. Close to #2,000,000. Again, definitely NOT impressive.
Then I wanted to check out how many followers she had on twitter: 10 LinkedIn: 121
I know you can’t judge a book by its cover, but through all the visible channels where YOU can make yourself known and get seen, I want to be sure that the keynote speaker I go to hear will offer me something I don’t already have. There was little evidence of that happening in any of the marketing materials or Web 2.0 locations to tell me that story.
Jim Rohn used to say, “People shouldn’t judge you by how you look, but they do.” We could update that to say, “People shouldn’t judge you by your online presence, but they do.” Or at least I do when it comes to spending my precious resources like time and money.
Jane, your blog resonated for me (as it often does). I have judged people by the quality of their website and social media presence. Not just by the number of followers, but the quality of their twitter page and FB biz page. I’m feeling pretty good about mine after reading this blog!
I absolutely agree with both of you! When I’m considering a new contact for whatever reason, I typically google her. If there’s little or no online presence, I think “Couldn’t you have made just a little effort?”
@Sandy
I remember hearing a marketing expert say that there is often a disconnect between what your message is and the investment of time and resources you’ve made to communicate it. Your web presence is the greatest statement today of your message. It might be awesome to meet you in person, but what does it say about you when I click on your name and there’s a mediocre site and lackluster presence online?
@Lisa
I’m glad I’m not alone! Thanks for your comment.
@Jane
Could not agree with you more. I’ve been preaching this since I coined a term for it in ’05 > “G-cred” for Google credibility. Gave a talk on it at a recent NY Business Expo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbKJzWcd-Fg Hopefully your post will help educate more people on this very important issue.